


Wolves in the Ivory Tower

by LadyKnightSkye



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Horror, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Serial Killers, Urban Fantasy, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-01 23:54:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13306011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightSkye/pseuds/LadyKnightSkye
Summary: Rey St. James was more worried about her Chemistry grades than hot guys, but the most infamous bachelors on campus have some different ideas on that. The Terrible Twosome are rich, vicious, and infamous for their tempers, but for some reason, they've decided that she is perfect for them.Meanwhile a killer stalks the campus after dark, attacking and killing girls at least once a week. And Rey is about to get caught up in a murderer's crosshairs . . .





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I admit it, I really probably shouldn't be starting on yet another fic. However, I had a hankering to write some Reylux, and this story just begged to be written. I hope you enjoy!

“You know they found another one.”

            Rey kept her head down, and didn’t look up as the prissy voices gasped around her. She was too busy trying to study for her Chemistry test that afternoon. She didn’t have time to gossip, not when her scholarships were on the line. “Another what?” one of the clueless freshmen asked.

            “Another _body_.”

            That finally caught Rey’s attention. She glanced up at Rose, the two girls finally interested in what the gaggle of cackling geese had to say. “Another body?” Rose prompted.

            One of the girls glanced over, and smiled. She was a sweet-faced beauty named Alana. “Yeah, the police were called out to Theed Hall last night. She was out beside the smoking area.”

            “Isn’t that right next to your dorm?” Rose asked quietly.

            “Yeah. Theed is next to Niima.” Rey glanced back at her notes.

            “Make sure Finn walks you to your dorm from now on. That’s the third one.”

            Rey gulped and nodded, not too proud to admit that in this situation, she would welcome an escort. For the last month panic had begun to set in as girls were killed one by one. If the pattern held true, they’d only need to worry in about five days. Even still, she decided that Finn was going to be her escort from now on.

            “That might not even be enough,” Alana murmured. “They found her boyfriend nearby. His neck was broken.”

            Rey and Rose shared another look, and the other girls sharing their small oasis of tables also fell silent. Rey tried to turn her attention back to the book opened in front of her, remembering that if she couldn’t remember how to balance equations, she was in deep trouble, but it was hard. Suddenly, one of the other girls gasped. “Look! It’s the Terrible Twosome.”

            Rose snorted. “Terrible Twosome.”

            “Who?” Rey asked.

            She pointed, and Rey followed that finger to see two men entering their wing of the library. They both looked to be in their late twenties to early thirties, with pale skin and tall, powerful frames. That was where the similarities ended. The one on the right was dark-haired, dark-eyed, and had a face that she would hesitate to call handsome. It was long and his features were a little large on it – big nose, big eyes, big ears, full mouth. However, while it was not handsome, it was attractive, and Rey found it hard to look away from it. But she did, examining the other man. He was light where the other was dark, with flaming red hair, and icy blue eyes. His was a more conventionally handsome face, but for all his fiery coloring struck Rey as cold. They strode almost in unison, but the tension between them was almost palpable.

            “Why are they called the Terrible Twosome?” Rey asked, her eyes still glued to them.

            “Those pretty faces hide the attitudes of perpetually pissed-off honey badgers,” Rose whispered. “Alana told me once that a girl in the sophomore class had asked Kylo – the dark haired one – out for coffee once. His reply was so harsh that she apparently decided to drop out rather than face him again.”

            “It couldn’t have been that bad,” Rey murmured.

            “Just watch,” Rose whispered back, “Alana’s friend Jaine is nigh on suicidal. She keeps talking to them, not accepting that they’re like tigers – pretty but they will eat your face and not in the fun way.”

            “Hi Kylo. Hi Hux,” Jaine called in her sweetest voice.

            Rey cocked a brow at the look the two men gave her – as if she was beneath their notice. They didn’t acknowledge her, and instead kept walking. The other girls had been seated at a table not far from Rose and Rey, so it wasn’t hard to see Jaine’s put out face. When the two men passed their table, Rey pursed her lips with distaste. She didn’t much like haughty people in general, but these two took the cake. She shook her head and bent back to her studying. However, the sixth sense that always seemed to warn her when things were going pear-shaped alerted her to the fact that the two had not kept walking. She glanced up at Rose to find the sweet-faced girl staring up behind Rey, her mouth agape.

            A large hand came into her peripheral vision, attached to a long, powerful forearm. The sleeve of the owner’s Henley had been pushed up to his elbow. “That’s incorrect,” came the baritone rumble from behind her.

            Rose’s mouth continued to drop open as another tenor voice agreed. “Don’t forget to factor in the molar mass.”

            Rey licked her lips and turned to find the Terrible Twosome standing at her back. Kylo was leaning over her where he was pointing out her mistake, and the other one, Hux she guessed, was looking over her shoulder with an apathetic expression. “It’s an easy mistake to make, but never forget the moles. It can throw off an entire reaction if you don’t have enough of each compound.”

            “Thank you,” she said, not knowing how else to react. She could almost feel the other table full of girls eating this up. “I’m rubbish at Chemistry.”

            Kylo leaned back. “Chemistry 102?”

            “Uh, yes?” she replied.

            “Dr. Jinn?” Hux asked.

            Again she answered in the affirmative. The two men shared a speaking look. “Has he made his “ferrous” wheel joke yet?”

            Rey had to bite her lip. Dr. Qui-gon Jinn had an odd sense of humor she quite enjoyed. “Yes, he has, among others. Why?”

            “Just wondering,” Kylo replied nonchalantly. “What’s your name?”

            “Rey.” She gave them a small smile. “Rey St. James.”

            The two men nodded. “Good luck balancing those equations,” Hux said in a distinctly jovial manner. They moved off, and eventually entered the next wing.

            Rey turned back to her book only to stop when she saw Rose’s slack-jawed expression. “What?”

            “That . . . was fucking amazing,” sweet little Alana said.

            Rey turned to see the other table giving her the same pole-axed expression Rose did. “The Terrible Twosome were . . . _nice_ to you,” Jaine murmured in misplaced awe.

            “I . . . guess?” Rey replied. “I mean, I don’t know why.”

            “Maybe they think you’re pretty,” Rose said with a small giggle.

            Rey snorted. “Right, two men who look like they shop at Nordstrom and have bespoke silk suits in their closets really like the girl who is happy with cheap Walmart blouses. Sure, Rose, and what is that quaint expression you and Finn have introduced me to? I have a bridge I’ll sell you in Brooklyn?”

            Rose balled up a piece of paper and threw it at her. “You can quit with the haughty British sarcasm! I’m just saying, maybe they like that you aren’t cooing over them like the rest of us do.”

            “I didn’t see you cooing.”

            Rose laughed. “You weren’t looking at me! I mean, I love Finn, but . . .”

            “Kylo has a chest that won’t quit?” Alana piped up.

            “Hux has a face that just screams for you to ride it?” Jaine added.

            At that every one of them burst into titters. “Both,” Rose admitted.  “Come on Rey, they’re both tall drinks of water, right?”

            Rey finally curled her lips into a wicked smile. “I wouldn’t kick them out of bed for eating crackers.”

* * *

 

            Rey had all but forgotten the incident in the library by the time that evening rolled around. She was busy typing up her notes from her History lecture when a sound drew her to the window of her dorm room. Her roommate had decided that college wasn’t her style about halfway through the semester, so Rey had the little room to herself. She’d arranged it to her liking, going as far as to keep her loft bed so that she could fit a small, rundown sofa into the other side of the room. She was sitting on said cabbage rose covered monstrosity, and got up to glance out her window. What she saw made her take pause.

            Her dorm shared a small access walk with Theed, but between them was about ten feet of open space and some bushes near the walls of each building. Standing in the walk way were two big dogs, one dark and one a reddish color. Rey blinked down at the strange sight. The two creatures seemed to be staring right up at her, and the dark one even cocked its head at her. “What are you two doing?” she murmured to herself.

            Almost without thinking, she threw on her shoes and a coat. She pocketed her keys and phone before swinging out of her room and down the hall. The elevator carried her down to the ground floor where she trotted outside. Rey decided not to look too closely at why she wanted to examine the two dogs closer. For all she knew they were rabid strays. Yet, something told her that they wouldn’t hurt her. She cautiously entered the walk way, peering around for the two creatures. “Hello?”

            A crackle of dry leaves greeted her. In the dusk she couldn’t see very well, but a large shape approached her. It resolved into the darker dog, except, Rey had never seen a dog this big. Or, this weird looking. She’d almost swear it was an _actual_ wolf, but that was impossible. Wolves didn’t live around here, and most certainly wouldn’t be this friendly to a random human. She held out a hand, noticing that the dog’s ears were up and forward, and its fur lay flat against its back. “Hi there.”

            Another crackle heralded the arrival of the other dog. “Well, hi to you to,” she murmured.

            Both dogs approached, their manner more curious than nervous. Their ears were forward and perked up, their fur flat, their lips relaxed, and their tails were up. “What pretty boys,” she said soothingly, hoping they would come closer.

            Rey loved dogs, and had always wanted one. However, the orphanage she had grown up in wouldn’t allow her to have a pet, and she’d never had the heart to ask either of her two foster families, even though both had been nice enough and would probably not have minded allowing her a pet. Instead, she’d showered love and attention on every canine she’d met, and she hoped that these two were friendly enough for a pet. After her stressful day, petting a couple of cute dogs would be relaxing. “I’m not going to hurt you boys.”

            The two dogs came right up to her, and sniffed her fingers. The reddish one licked her fingers, and she giggled. “I wonder if anyone is looking for you two.”

            She sat down on the ground, not minding the chill of the late September night. The dark one went so far as to lay his head in her lap, and the red one followed suit. The two dogs were content to let her pet their heads and rub their huge ears. “You two are real sweethearts. You’re free to come see me anytime. I’m sorry I don’t have anything for a treat.”

            The reddish one huffed, but the dark one closed his eyes in bliss. Eventually, Rey realized that it was only getting later and she needed to go back up to her room. “Good night, boys.”

            The two stood with her, and watched her as she returned to her dorm.


	2. Wolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we get that first meeting from the other side.

Ben Skywalker-Solo and Armitage Brexit Hux II had been friends for years. Well, maybe “friends” was too strong a word. To be frank, their parents hated each other, and the boys had been going steadily down that particular road for some years. However, much to all sides’ surprise and disdain, the two boys had discovered that they were Paired. No matter how much Armitage Brexit Hux I, Carolina Hux, and Andrew Snoke hated Han Solo, Leia Skywalker-Solo, and Luke Skywalker, the simple fact of the matter was that their sons were destined to be Paired and protect a mate.

            The two boys had taken the news better. They were not happy per se, but they both reveled in annoying their parents. Especially when they’d gotten to be young adults and ended up both being accepted to Republic College. Gleefully they got to flaunt their status as young Wolves in front of their parents, and the other triads. Thankfully for them there was one trio that didn’t mind their antics as much, so they got away with most of their more outrageous behavior by being particular favorites of the Patriarchs and Matriarch.

            However, they were both approaching their thirtieth and thirty-second year respectively, and the pressure to find their Lady was on. “Do you suppose they’ll throw that poor Naberrie girl at us again?” Hux asked idly as the two men entered the library.

            Kylo – so nicknamed by Hux since “Skywalker-Solo” was a mouthful and even he was not crazy enough to court Leia’s wrath by calling him just “Solo” – shrugged. “It would be predicated on her marrying and breeding with you. I don’t know if Mother is ready for the Skywalker line to end just yet.”

            “She’s a second cousin isn’t she? Consanguinity wouldn’t be a problem.” HUx nodded to the librarian, a wizened old woman by the name of Maz. Maz gave them both a beatific smile in return. She was uncommonly fond of them as well, much to the surprise of every other Wolf on campus. Already unusual because of her vampiric state, she gained more notoriety for being fond of the Terrible Twosome.

            “Have you ever wondered why all of the trios have only had one or two children in the last three generations?” Kylo began, “It’s not so farfetched to think that we’re dwindling because of inbreeding. Naberrie, Kenobi, Jinn, Skywalker . . . we’ve all intermarried to the point where we’re all swimming in a shallow cesspit instead of a gene pool.”

            Hux grinned in evil delight. “I love it when you get vicious.”

            “That’s not what you said last night,” Kylo muttered before he caught scent of a gaggle of females. “Hens ahead.”

            “Lovely,” Hux muttered as they entered the main wing of the second floor. Two tables full of girls looked up at their arrival. Both men were not particularly enamored of the multitudes of women they dealt with on a daily basis. They’d both more or less grown up in the ivory tower of the university, and had been living the past twelve years exclusively in its hallowed halls. Teenage and young twenty-something women were annoying at best, downright infuriating at worst. _Especially_ to Wolves. While the men had each taken the time to have relationships of the more casual nature with available women, the starry-eyed adoration and sometimes outright romantic scheming of some of them tried the Twosome’s patience.       

            “Hi Kylo, hi Hux,” one of the girls said in breathy anticipation. Kylo recognized her as one of the more persistant freshmen.

            Neither man replied to her, intent on escaping the scrutiny of the gaggle of femininity. However, a scent wafted to Kylo that piqued his interest. While the other girls smelled of various levels of cheap shampoos and body lotions, two of them smelled _wild_. It wasn’t a synthetic scent of pine or cedar, no, it was the musk of fertile females. As he approached the second table with its two occupants, he recognized one of them as a young bitch already taken by a male that he detested. The other girl had her back to them, but he didn’t recognize her scent at all. Deciding to get closer, he glanced quickly over her work.

            “That’s incorrect,” he said, leaning down to point at the problem he’d spotted. It was fortunate that Chemistry and the sciences were something he enjoyed. He leaned close, and inhaled deeply. _Ripe. Unclaimed._

            Hux had stopped with him, and looked over the girl’s shoulder too. “Don’t forget to factor in the molar mass.”

            He glanced over at Kylo as the girl turned to face them. She had a pretty face with evenly spaced features and a strong jaw. “It’s an easy mistake to make, but never forget the moles. It can throw off your reaction if you don’t have enough of each compound.”

She looked nervous, hazel eyes unsure as she gave an uneasy smile. “Thank you. I’m rubbish at Chemistry.”

            Hux glanced over at Kylo as he leaned back. “Chemistry 102?”

            “Um yes?”

            “Dr. Jinn?” Hux asked, and Kylo tried not to laugh. Hux hated Dr. Jinn even though the older man loved him for some odd reason. Grandfather Anakin claimed it was because Hux reminded Jinn of a younger Grandfather Ben.

            She nodded. “Has he made his “ferrous” wheel joke yet?” Kylo asked.

            She bit her lip, and Kylo wondered if Hux had the same lascivious thoughts he was having. “Yes, he has, among others. Why?”

“Just wondering,” Kylo replied, inwardly smiling. “What’s your name?”

“Rey. Rey St. James.”

Kylo and Hux gave a nod, but didn’t offer their names in reply. “Good luck balancing those equations,” Hux said in a friendly tone that he used but rarely. He turned and Kylo went with him, both exiting the main wing into their original destination. When they were solidly out of earshot of the gaggle of girls, Hux spoke again. “She’s a potential mate.”

“Noticed that, did you?” Kylo said softly.

“She’s unclaimed, unknown.” Hux looked thoughtful. “Beautiful.”

Kylo nodded in agreement. “We need to know more.”

 

* * *

As it turned out, Grandmother Padme, Matriarch of Pack Starforge, was more than happy to supply the two men the intel they needed. “Oh, curious are we?” the beautiful woman said with a smile. Her teeth were pearly white, even, and set behind perfectly painted lips. She looked no older than thirty, but was in actuality approaching her first century.

            “She has the scent of fertility on her,” Hux said.

            Padme clucked her tongue. “Does she now?”

            Kylo narrowed his eyes. “You knew.”

            She nodded. “The girl interviewed with Galen over in the Engineering department. He told me he scented Wolf on her.”

            “And you didn’t tell any one because?” Kylo asked with a little snarl. Hux gave him a small look of amazement.

            Padme’s smile reached her eyes. “Always so forceful! Your mother and grandfather shine out from behind your eyes.” She shook her head. “I didn’t say anything because I did not wish to cause undue turmoil. You two are the only males now without a Lady to close your trio. Luke, Leia, and Han might not mind you mating to a Rogue, Kylo, but Snoke, Carolina, and Armitage would have a fit at the thought. I believed it best for the two of you to, well, make up your minds without your parents dangling more bitches in front of you than you could handle.”

            The two men shared a look of understanding. Padme shrugged. “If you must know, Anakin and Ben agreed with me. The choice is yours to make. If you wish to pursue her, do so with our blessing. New blood is needed in Starforge. There’s only so many Naberries and Jinns and Kenobis we can import before our children start being born with three eyes and eleven toes.”

            Hux felt a very undignified smile curl his lips. “So, what can you tell us about her?”

            “Now boys,” Padme said with a sip of tea, “I’ll only tell you that she resides in Niima Hall. You have to take it from there.”

            Kylo pouted, his full lips and huge eyes transforming his face from sternness to petulance. “Please, Grandmama?”

            Padme’s eyes turned to steel, showing that Anakin was not the only one to have ruthlessness in his soul. “I have said what I will say about the girl. Its up to you to gain any more information, young one.”

            The two younger Wolves nodded, understanding that her patience was at an end. They finished their tea in companionable conversation before the two young Wolves made their way back to their own apartment. They had some planning to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, couple of things:
> 
> 1) There will be none of that Alpha/Beta pack dynamics bull crap. Its been well known for years that wolf packs are family units and work just like human ones do. The leaders are the elders and everyone else is related in some way. I'm basing the pack structure on that respect/seniority model. Hence Padme, Anakin, and Ben (Obi-Wan) being referred to as Matriarch and Patriarchs rather than Alphas. Quite frankly, I'm sick of the Alpha dynamic being presented in media when the family dynamic is fun all on its own.
> 
> 2) Hux's middle name actually came from seeing a humorous Tumblr post about "Brexit" sounding like it should be his middle name. Headcanon firmly established.
> 
> Thank you for all the lovely comments! I hope you are continuing to enjoy it!


	3. Chapter 3: Courting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux and Kylo make their first overture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note before the fic continues, when I said that I wanted to avoid "Alpha/Beta" dynamics, I was referring to the erroneous belief that real life wolf packs are structured with a leader at the top who is the strongest (the Alpha), followed by the next strongest (the Beta), etc. This belief came from a study done on wolves in captivity, and wouldn't you know it, when you capture animals and throw them together with strangers, a prison gang type social structure follows. Real wolf packs in the wild function more like families with the oldest wolves leading and younger wolves following their example. Hence the Matriarch/Patriarch structure I'm giving Pack Starforge. The "Alpha leader-of-the-pack" trope is used a lot in paranormal romances, and it annoys me to no end.
> 
> I say all of this because I've had several commenters mention A/B/O dynamics. I know a lot of the language was co-opted from the faux pack dynamics beliefs (Alpha, Beta, and the lowest ranking wolf was called the Omega), but I wasn't talking about that at all. I had no intent to include those dynamics because I'm actually not a huge fan of A/B/O tropes. Not to say I haven't come across some good fic featuring this trope, it's just not my general cup of tea. I just wanted to clarify this since it seemed that some readers thought I was meaning A/B/O when I wasn't.

The next day was a normal one for Rey. She went to class, ate with her friends, and finished homework in the library before she walked through the dusk back to her dorm. Finn, Rose, and Poe accompanied her, laughing and joking the entire way. All was well until Rose mentioned the events of the day before. “Guys, you’ll never believe this! The Terrible Twosome were _nice_ to Rey.”

            Finn did a double take and Poe whistled. “Really? Those two are infamous for being assholes.”

            “Yeah,” Finn breathed. Rey shook her head, but didn’t see the look that passed between her three friends.

            “It was nothing,” she said firmly. “Just . . . I guess they decided to be friendly to me because I wasn’t cooing over them.”

            “It takes more than that to catch their eye,” Poe said softly. Rey turned to give him a look. She’d met Poe and Finn on her second day there, and she’d lightly flirted with Poe, but he’d never made a move on her. The flirting seemed to also stop about the time that Finn and Rose started dating, but the two men had always made a point of including Rey in their group of friends.

            “Like what?” Rey asked.

            “Like . . . Hux is from a really snobby family,” Finn tried to explain, “And Kylo’s family practically runs this school. President Skywalker-Solo is his mom.”

            She nodded at that. “Okay, so that still doesn’t explain why they would care about little ole me.”

            “That’s just it,” Finn said with a frown. “Why would they be interested in you?”

            Poe nudged him, and Rey couldn’t help but assume it was out of a desire to prevent her feelings from being hurt. She, however, had no illusions, even if the disbelief in his voice stung a bit. “Maybe they think I’m easy?” she murmured.

            Again, she didn’t see the look that passed between the three others. “I don’t think that’s it,” Rose murmured. Nothing more was said until they reached Niima Hall. Her friends bid her goodbye as Rey walked to the front entrance. She went to open the front door, when movement to her right caught her eye. She turned her head just in time to spy the dark dog from the night before darting down the walkway. With a small smile, she turned and decided to see if her two visitors were still down there.

            When she got to the middle of the path, her two friends from the night before made another appearance. With a happy yip, the dark dog greeted her jovially. The reddish one just stared. “Heya boys,” she murmured, pulling a small package from her coat pocket. “I hope you don’t mind, I snuck you some hamburger from tonight’s dinner.”

            She broke the meat into two halves, and held them out. The dark one seemed to have no compunctions about coming and taking the meat daintily from her hand. The reddish one eyed it for a moment before coming forward to slurp it down. As they did the night before, the two settled beside her as she sat down on the side of the path, their heads in her lap. “You know, Poe’s right, what could they want from me?”

            The dark dog’s head came up, and he cocked his head at her inquisitively. “Sorry, like the two of you would know the Terrible Twosome.”

            This had the reddish dog’s head up. “Yeah, the Terrible Twosome.” She snorted. “Apparently they think they’re God’s gift to the Earth. Well, I guess they’re good looking enough. I mean, they’ve got a couple of pretty faces, but to hear anyone tell it they have the attitudes of rabid wolverines.”

            Somehow, the two dogs looked offended by that. “I know! I didn’t believe it either, especially because they seemed okay yesterday. Like, still a little asshole-ish because they gave this girl the dirtiest look for saying hello to them, but they did help me with my chemistry work. Probably saved my ass on the test yesterday.”

            For some reason, that seemed to make the reddish dog preen a bit. “It’s just, I wonder why they chose not to be assholes to me too. I mean, I don’t doubt that they’re jerks to everyone else. I can honestly see it very easily, but what about me is enough for them to be different with?”

            The dark dog reached up and licked under her chin. She giggled. “You know, I could almost believe that maybe they are interested in me for sex, but that doesn’t jive with what I know of them. I mean, they’re both movie-star hot, and there are plenty of pretty girls that go to school here. I doubt they’d be interested in one little orphan from across the pond.”

            The reddish dog barked at her. “What, trying to argue with me? I know I’m pretty, but come on! I’m a . . . a daisy! Some of the girls around here are gilded lilies.”

            The two dogs got to their feet and nuzzled her, pushing their muzzles up under her chin and hugging her sides with their big bodies. She laughed out loud, charmed by their enthusiasm. “Alright, alright! I get it! You guys think I’m pretty. Gotcha.”

* * *

            “She doesn’t think she’s pretty.”

            “I know.”

            “How does she not think she’s beautiful?”

            “I don’t know.”

            “I can’t believe it.”

            “Neither can I.”

            The two men stared each other down over their breakfast. Kylo was a good cook, but this morning neither one of them had any desire to touch their Eggs Benedict. They were still mulling over what they’d learned the night before from the unaware Rogue. “Well,” Hux said, “on the bright side, she think’s we’re handsome.”

            Kylo’s lips quirked. “Yes, but why doesn’t she realize that she’s gorgeous?”

            “Does any woman truly think she’s beautiful anymore?” Hux proposed. “Perhaps we just need to show her.”

            “And how are we going to do that?” Kylo asked, finally taking a bite of food.

            “First, we need to convince her that we are not complete assholes,” Hux began as he also took a bite of food.

            “That is going to be difficult,” the dark-haired man muttered.

            “True, but we need to show her that we aren’t just interested in her for sex as she’s so worried about.” Hux picked up his napkin and dabbed daintily at his mouth. He scowled at Kylo’s skeptical look. “Oh quit it! I said ‘just’ did I not? Of course I want her to ride me hard and put me up wet, but that will come in its own time.”

            “Of course,” Kylo agreed with a grin. “So, what’s our first move?”

            The red-headed master mind of their relationship cocked his head. “I believe we need to make contact in human form. Say, maybe today at lunch?”

            Kylo agreed, and the two men went about their day as normal. Hux was a doctoral student in Medieval Literature while Kylo was happy to torture history grads with his exhaustive knowledge of military history and tactics. He taught four sections of Military History, and had been tapped to begin teaching the junior and senior undergrads a few classes on the World Wars. He really should have been seeking his doctorate too, but Kylo was nothing if not a contrarian. At noon, the two followed the faint scent of Rey all the way to the campus café.

            Republic College was quite tiny, with only about fifteen hundred students in all, and the campus only housed the one café and the dining hall. Hux and Kylo lived in the small apartment complex adjacent to the campus, but they would often dine on campus because the food wasn’t terribly bad. The Skywalkers liked to eat well, and that trickled down to the rest of the faculty, staff, and students of the college as well. Apparently that was one of the college’s main selling points to potential students. Today it seemed that Rey had decided to partake of the café’s fare, and the two men found her easily.

            She was bent over a book, her hair pulled back into an odd three bun style that reminded the two of Padme and Leia’s penchant for outrageous hair styles. She had a plate of food at her elbow that she was judiciously nibbling on, but Kylo frowned. “That’s not nearly enough food,” he murmured.

            “Not for a Wolf, no.” Hux’s eyes narrowed. “Come, let us order quickly.”

            The kitchen of the café was run by a combination of students and at least one supervisor, and all three of the available supervisors happened to be Wolves. Aayla, Hera, and Kanaan were fierce warriors for Pack Starforge, but the three also enjoyed running the little café. Kanaan was the one on duty, and he didn’t bat an eye at the gigantic order the two put in. Four Southwest chicken wraps, two hamburgers with all the trimmings, four orders of fries, and two large sodas later, the two men were mollified to see Rey still sitting out on the terrace with her food barely touched and her book open.

            “May we join you?” Hux asked jovially. Kylo was beginning to believe that he would never get used to that particular tone of voice coming from his long time partner.

            Rey’s eyes flew up to them, startled. She glanced between the two of them, and then back at the empty table. “Um, yeah, sure.” Then she bit her lip.

            Kylo and Hux quickly sat before she could come up with an excuse as to why they couldn’t, and quickly began to unload their bags. Rey had returned her eyes to her book, but at the crinkle of their bags, looked up and then began to gape. She watched with unabashed awe on her face as they set out the entirety of their order. They’d asked for everything to be cut into halves, and the fries had been put into one large take out tray so that it overflowed with hot potato goodness. Rey’s plate of one measly hamburger and handful of fries looked miserly in comparison. “How are you this delightful day?” Hux continued as Kylo popped a fry into his mouth.

            “Um, I’m okay. You?” she returned weakly, shutting her book and pulling her food in front of her. She took a healthy bite of her sandwich.

            “It has been quite lovely,” Hux replied, much more at ease with small talk than Kylo had ever been.

            She smiled, and took another bite of her burger. “I, uh, wanted to thank you for the other day. Your reminder really helped on my test.”

            Hux nodded. “Not a problem. Chemistry was not one of my favorite subjects, but I did not forget everything Dr. Jinn taught me.”

            Kylo’s lips curled around his own hamburger. “Not to mention you’ve never been able to forget how Dr. Jinn absolutely adored you.”

            The redhead turned and gave Kylo a venomous look. Rey glanced between the two of them, furiously chewing on her fries. “I thought we agreed not to speak of Dr. Jinn and his adoration of me.”

            “I think he wanted to take Hux and make him his Igor,” Kylo murmured conspiratorially with Rey. He affected the deep, serene tones of the venerable professor. “Ah, Mr. Hux! Your eye for data collection is wasted on Medieval Literature. Are you sure you will not consider a career in the sciences?”

            “Dr. Frankenstein was a failed medical doctor not a chemist,” Hux said icily, causing Rey to giggle a bit around the last of her food. “And I resent the implication that Dr. Jinn wanted to make me his . . . his . . . lab boy!”

            “Henchman,” Kylo quipped, “He wanted to make you his henchman.”

            Rey laughed some more before forlornly looking down at her plate. Kylo pushed a chicken wrap towards her, hoping that she would accept his offer of food. She shook her head. “Oh, I couldn’t.”

            He gestured down to the spread that was slowly creeping across the table towards her. “It’s not like we don’t have enough food to share.”

            “But –“ She glanced down again, and then back up. Now her eyes burned with hazel fire, the sunlight sparkling on the green flecks of her irises. “I don’t even know your names. Right now you’re just Asshole 1 and Asshole 2.”

            Kylo threw back his head and laughed while Hux scowled. “Please tell me you were making a Dr. Seuss reference,” he wheezed as Hux continued to harrumph.

            She nodded. “Well, to put you at ease and straight,” the redhead said with chilly tones, “I am Armitage Brexit Hux II, at your service.”

            Rey blinked twice before murmuring, “Armitage Brexit . . .”

            “Please,” he said, “just call me Hux. I am aware of the overwhelming pretentiousness of my name.”

            Her lips twitched, but she nodded. “And I’m Benjamin Anakin Skywalker-Solo,” Kylo said, “Although I prefer Kylo or if you must, Ben.”

            She looked down at the chicken wrap, and took it finally. “Thanks, Kylo, Hux. I appreciate it.”

            The two gave her a set of small smiles. Kylo felt fierce satisfaction when her cheeks pinked as she began to dig into the wrap. He pushed the tray of fries toward her, and soon she didn’t need any prompting to partake in the bounty her two hopeful mates had procured for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to the people who continued to comment on this fic even as it aged! It's not dead, just the author has had a time of it.
> 
> Usually I do a lot of my writing during the summer break, but this year I spent the first half sick because my pregnancy hit me hard, and then the latter half was spent caring for a newborn. But here I am now!
> 
> Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed it!


	4. IT'S NOT A DATE!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a date.

Two days passed in a strange sort of pattern for Rey. She would breakfast with Rose, Poe, and Finn before going about her morning classes. Then she would spend lunch with Hux and Kylo, who always seemed to know when she was eating in the café or the dining hall. Her meal plan only allowed three café meals a week, and she usually avoided eating there because unlike the buffet style dining hall, she usually didn’t get full off of the café fare. However, the second time they found her there, once again they provided more than enough food to fill her.

            More than that, she also found out that her initial impression of them being assholes, but not complete assholes, was correct. They were scathing and prone to sarcasm, but they treated everyone _including_ each other that way. They refrained from roasting her, however, and she guessed that it was because they were trying to stay on her good side. When she had rightly pointed out their behavior, they had also fully admitted to it. According to Hux being a classist, sexist asshole was the one thing his father seemed to want to impart upon him – though Rey had to say she hadn’t seen the sexist part of that statement just yet – and the fact that she found that she was able to tolerate him was a miracle in and of itself. Kylo asked her if she’d ever met his parents, and Rey had to say that she found that assessment fair as well. Leia Skywalker-Solo was freaking terrifying, and Han Solo could be suave and debonair, and a jerk. She’d met the couple once, but their bickering had made an impression.

            However, they seemed to be genuinely interested in talking with her. Hux revealed his specialty in Medieval Literature, and even went as far as to recite a couple of poems for her in Old French and a language he referred to as “Lang de Oc”. Kylo was a military historian, with his specialty being the evolution of tactics over the centuries. He even knew how to fence, which Rey had found herself envious of. She in turn revealed her modest aspiration of being either an engineer or an elementary school teacher. They had blinked at those disparate ambitions. “You know,” Kylo had said with a small smile, “you could do both. Study to be an engineer and then a teacher. Then you could teach the kids how to build proper suspension bridges out of toothpicks.”

            Rey had found herself laughing. “Maybe. I like working with my hands, but I love children.”

            The two men had shared a look and then a smile. “Either ambition suits you,” Kylo said softly.

            She had blushed, flattered by his statement. “Thank you,” she whispered. She’d held his words close for the rest of the day, charmed at the sweetness of them. Kylo, she found, had a deep streak of sweetness in him that was hidden beneath the scathing wit. Hux’s care was more clinical and detached, but after hearing more about his parents and uncle, she couldn’t say she blamed him.

            In the evenings after her final few classes and another meal with her friends, she would come back to her dorm and visit with her dogs. She’d begun to think of them as hers. She would talk about her day, feed them a small treat, and muse on her deepening acquaintance with the Terrible Twosome. She would pet them and coddle them for a few minutes before going up to her room to work on homework and study.

            It wasn’t until the third day that things changed. It was a Friday, and as she sat in the dining hall, munching on her lunch, Kylo mentioned the newest movie in theaters that Rey was desperate to see. She had loved the book, and according to everything she’d seen the movie would be as faithful to it as possible. “God, I’d love to see it! The books saved my life when I was younger.”

            Kylo and Hux shared a look. “Why not go see it tonight?” Hux asked. “There’s nothing else to do unless you really want to attend that boorish frat party the AMs are putting on.”

            She smiled. She had discovered that her two new friends absolutely hated the Alpha Mu Gamma fraternity, mostly because Hux’s dad and uncle had been members of the notoriously snooty group. From what she gathered, Hux’s dad was someone to dislike, but Hux’s uncle was someone to _hate_ with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. “I don’t have the money. I get a stipend to live on campus, but after Christmas I’m going to have to find a job. I’m going to need an apartment this summer, and I want to start saving. Going to movies is not something I can really afford.”

            The two men shared another speaking look. “Then we’ll take you,” Kylo said emphatically.

            She shook her head. “No, you guys –“

            Hux put up his hand. “That’s a splendid idea, Kylo! Then dinner. Would you rather dinner before or after?”

            “I would rather you not –“

            “Before! We can take her to that place in downtown you like,” Kylo cut in. “We can’t just fill up on popcorn and nachos when we could have some delicious Italian.” He rattled off the name of a restaurant that Rey knew was at least thirty dollars a plate if not more.

            “NO!” she finally shrieked.

            The two looked at her with hilariously identical looks of offense. “I beg your pardon?” Hux intoned in his most supercilious tone of voice.

            “Well I’m not going to let you two bully me off wherever you want!” she replied hotly. “Just because I don’t continuously tell you off for being raging assholes doesn’t mean that I’m perfectly alright with you dragging me around willy-nilly!”

            “But that’s why we like you,” Kylo explained, “You realize we’re assholes but allow us to hang around you anyway.”

            “Without fawning over us and cooing like a lovesick cow,” Hux agreed.

            Rey was about to snap something else when Kylo’s wording sunk in. She realized that not once over the last three days had she witnessed anyone else hanging out with the two of them. To be fair, that was partially because of their own nasty dispositions, but at the same time Hux’s words also struck. These two were desperate for people to socialize with that were neither angling for a date nor offended by their faults. Rey herself didn’t mind their snappish and snide ways because she had discovered that neither of those words usually equated to cruel. Yes, both men were prone to sarcasm and disdain, but they didn’t go out of their way to subject people to it. Generally, if one left Hux and Kylo alone, they left you alone. Rey couldn’t help but feel her heart soften.

            “Look,” she said, “I’m flattered that you two like hanging out with me, but you can’t just assume that I’ll be perfectly fine with you planning out an entire evening without my input.”

            “So,” Kylo said slowly, “how would you plan the evening?”

            She smiled at him. “I would love to go see the movie with you, and have dinner, but I don’t feel comfortable with you taking me to such an expensive place on our first . . . outing.” She’d nearly said date, but that was a ludicrous thought. “I mean, a McDonald’s or maybe a Taco Bell would be just fine.”

            She would remember in the future to insist on going to fast food restaurants sometimes. The looks of utter horror and disdain on their faces were comedic gold. “. . . Woman, stay your tongue!” Hux hissed.

            That elicited a giggle. “Okay, then maybe something like Flora’s Café. Its downtown, not cheap but not ruinously expensive either.”

            “Why are you so concerned with how much we spend on you?” Kylo asked.

            “Because it’s a lot of money to spend on someone you barely know,” Rey replied.

            “What else are we supposed to do with it?” Hux shot back. “Let it rot in a bank vault? What’s wrong with us sharing our bounty with someone we like?”

            She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came. Hux had a point there. “Just, give me some time to get used to how generous you two are with people you like, okay?” She gave them a bright smile. “I grew up without any family, you know. I’m not used to people just . . . giving me things.”

            Kylo humphed. “Better get used to it,” he muttered.

            “What was that?” Rey asked.

            Hux gave his friend a dark look. “What he means to say is that we’d love to treat you to a movie and meal at Flora’s Café. I heard they make a delicious patty melt.”

* * *

          Rey wasn’t entirely sure why she was dressing up in her favorite dress. “It’s not a date,” she reminded herself for the hundredth time since she finally consented to go to the movies with Kylo and Hux. “It’s not a date.”

            Rose looked up from where she was checking her homework by Rey’s. “You so sure about that?”

            She whirled on her friend. “What do you mean?”

            Rose shrugged. She’d come over an hour before, and Rey had felt a stab of guilt about forgetting to text her friend about the change in her evening plans. Rose was a good sport about it though. She merely went ahead with their nightly math homework check, and called Finn to pick her up. The college authorities had finally dictated that no one was to move around after dark alone. It was only six, and the sun wouldn’t set for another half hour, but Rose had decided to be on the safe side. “I mean, what if this is their awkward, stupidly adorable way of asking you on a date?”

            “The two of them?” Rey countered, a brow cocked.

            Rose shrugged. “Not judging here, but I’ve asked around. Apparently the two have had a couple of three-ways before.”

            Her mouth opened, but Rey had no argument. The sudden realization hit her that she might not be as opposed to that thought as she really should be. She liked both Kylo and Hux, and they were comfortable to be around. She liked Kylo’s sweetness and Hux’s care, and had even begun to enjoy their acidic wit. “No,” she finally said. “I don’t think it’s a date.”

            Rose’s brow was now the one that cocked up at an angle. “So sure about that?”

            Before she could answer, Rey’s phone buzzed. She checked it to find a message from Kylo announcing their arrival at the front door of her dorm. She smiled at Rose. “That’s them.”

            The other young woman laughed. “Have fun on your date.”

            “It’s not a date!”

* * *

          Holy shit, it was a date.

            Rey tried not to squirm in the front of the two men as they escorted her to the car. Kylo and Hux had shown up to her dorm dressed and polished like she’d never seen them. Kylo wore a pair of black jeans that hugged his legs in an almost obscene manner, and his torso was incased in a dark blue button-up shirt. He even had rolled up his sleeves over his elbows, which was a weakness of Rey’s. God did she love when men did that. His hair was brushed away from his face, and his dark eyes sparkled at her. Hux was dressed in black slacks, but his were looser and brushed the top of his wingtips in a picture of genteel masculinity. His button up shirt was a dark green that set off his pale complexion. His eyes examined her with warmth.

            Rose had been right.

            “You look beautiful as always,” Hux said smoothly, gesturing for her to proceed them down the stairs to the path.

            Kylo nodded his agreement. “Radiant.”

            “Thank you,” she murmured, blushing. “You two look quite nice as well.”

            Two decidedly wolfish grins met her observation. She passed them, and then startled a bit when two big hands touched the small of her back. She didn’t say anything, but allowed them the liberty. It helped that the touches felt good, and made her feel safe and cherished. She tried not to show her surprise and discomfort, but that all melted away when she finally caught sight of Kylo’s car. “That’s yours?”

            He nodded. “You like it?”

            She grinned. It truly figured that Kylo would like an American classic muscle car. “Is that a 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1?”

            “Good eye,” Kylo answered. “My father and I don’t usually have anything in common, but we appreciate old American muscle.”

            “And irritating your mother,” Hux muttered.

            “Do you want to drive?” Kylo asked Rey, ignoring the obnoxious red-head.

            The urge to squeal was real. So real. “I would love to!”

            He opened the driver’s side door with a flourish and a bow. “Your chariot, m’lady.”

            Rey didn’t even stop the very real squeal she let out when she finally swung herself into the driver’s seat. She adjusted the seat and mirrors while Kylo and Hux got in. Hux folded himself into the back while Kylo slid into the passenger’s seat with a grin. She turned the key, and the purr of the engine was nearly her undoing. “God I love muscle cars.”

            Driving it was a dream. As she maneuvered them towards Flora’s Café, she couldn’t wipe the happy grin off of her face. The last light before the café was the infamously long one, and she glanced over at Kylo with that silly expression still intact. However, it faded a little at the look on Kylo’s face. A street light shown through the window, highlighting his eyes, but leaving the rest of his face in shadow. His eyes seemed to glow in the light, and they were trained on her. That look cut right through to her very core, the predatory expression hungry and wild.

            Something writhed beneath her skin.

            Without thought, she reached her right hand towards his face. Her fingers curled into claws. Lightly, softly, she dragged her hand across his face. Down from his forehead, over the harsh jut of his cheek, over soft lips turning into her gently violent gesture. His eyes never left hers as he kissed the tips of her fingers. Rey could feel the blood rising into her own cheeks.

            Before she could fully retract her arm, Hux’s head appeared, rubbing against her forearm. Instead of clawing, she caressed him, her fingers dragged down the side of his head. His red hair was soft beneath her fingers as she moved over hair, then ear, and his cheek. His eyes were closed, his mouth slightly parted, and he looked all the world like a man on the brink of orgasm. The urge to jump him, to force him beneath her as she had her wicked way with him was overwhelming.

It shocked Rey out of the strange reverie, not because it was sexual – God, she’d already accepted that they were trying to get her into their bed – but because of the violence of it. She’d had a couple of bed partners in her day. Mostly the sex had been sweet on the better end or perfunctory on the worse end. Never had she desired to dominate, but the ache at the juncture of her thighs demanded it. Pleaded for it. Her chest heaved as her mind continued to chase its own metaphorical tail.

Hux had since retracted his head with a self-satisfied grin, and Kylo had a smirk going. He leaned into her, and she could feel his breath on her face when he said, “The light is green.”

With a jerk, she turned back to face the very green light. She put the car in gear and tried not to floor the gas out of embarrassment. “Damn it,” she muttered.

She could not know that the two men were also exercising their willpower not to just take her. Rey had no idea that she’d just performed the biggest come-hither gesture in Wolf culture. If Hux and Kylo had any doubt of her suitability before, it was gone now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there actually is an Alpha Mu Gamma fraternity - I am in no way prejudiced against you. I literally made it up without checking if one existed or not. Sorry! 
> 
> And have you ever had a man escort you with his hand on the small of your back? I still remember in college when one of my professors - who I had a crush on, found out was gay, and then adopted as my second father (have fun with that wild ride) - did that to escort me to class. It's a really nice feeling, and I wish my husband would do it more often, because I liked it. But then again I love people touching my back, neck, and hair, so . . . yeah. There's that sensory kink out there for all to see.


End file.
